The National flag and civil ensign of the Vatican City and Papal States current flag was first officially hoisted on June 8, 1929 when Pope Pius XI signed the Lateran Treaty with Italy, creating a new independent state governed by the Holy See.
The flag is divided evenly in two with yellow near the flagpole with the white half displaying the papal tiara above the crossed keys of St Peter.
For some reason all the flags we saw today appeared to be flying upside down.
Took a last wander through the back streets of Tarquinia this morning before driving south of Rome to stay for the week.
We loved our short time in this fascinating medieval, nourishing place for the soul.
A wonderful day in the medieval town of Tarquinia. We wandered the winding, ancient streets then visited the Etruscan necropolis of Monterozz outside the town walls.
The necropolis has about 6,000 graves, the oldest of which dates to the 7th century BCE. About 200 of the gravestones are decorated with frescos and offer a fascinating insight into Etruscan life and death.
A visit to the National Museum of Tarquinia helped us appreciate the beauty of Etruscan art and sculpture, much of which was discovered as grave goods in the tombs.
Took an evening walk along the shore to watch the sun go down behind the hills then headed into the centre to find an Osteria serving a welcome pizza.
Arrived in Italy around 3.00pm. Decided to stay the night along the Riviera Di Pontente in the coastal town of Pietra Ligure. There we spotted the Italian flag.
A common interpretation of the colours is that green represents the country’s plains and the hills; white, the snow-capped Alps, and red, blood spilt in the Wars of Italian Independence.
canddaway's Blog 